We tried 8 sugar-free, low-carb and keto pasta sauces to determine which sauces were the best tasting and lowest in carbs.

As more sugar-free pasta sauces with quality, clean ingredients hit the shelves, we decided to do a taste test to find the best of the best.

We sampled 8 leading brands, including favorites like Rao’s Homemade and Barilla, all easily found at major grocers or on Amazon. While flavor was our top priority, we also weighed ingredients, net carbs, cost, and overall availability.

Since pasta sauce is such a versatile staple (you can use it in chili, ground beef dishes, tomato soup, and more), choosing the right one really matters. Below is our ranking of the best low-carb and keto pasta sauces.

Review of Low-Carb & Keto Pasta Sauces

1. Rao's Homemade Marinara Sauce

Some say Rao’s is the best jarred pasta sauce out there (case in point: Bon Appetit), and we have to agree. It’s flavorful and well balanced — not too tart, not too sweet, just rich, smooth, and delicious. It’s also low in carbs and made with simple, high-quality ingredients like tomatoes, olive oil, onions, garlic, and basil. The only downside is the price, so it’s definitely worth grabbing when it goes on sale.

Net Carbs: 5 grams net carbs per ½ cup

Ingredients: Italian Whole Peeled Tomatoes, Olive Oil, Onions, Salt, Garlic, Basil, Black Pepper, Oregano.

Amazon Rating: 4.7 out of 5 stars

Other Sauces: Arrabbiata (our favorite), Tomato Basil, Vodka, Roasted Garlic, Italian Sausage & Mushroom, etc.

PROS:

• Best in taste: balanced, full flavor sauce with small tomato chunks
• Available at most grocers
• All natural, quality ingredients
• Low in net carbs

CONS:

• Higher in cost
• Slightly higher in calories (and fat)

2. Carbone Marinara Pasta Sauce

Carbone is a simple, high-quality pasta sauce made with clean ingredients and a fresh, bright tomato flavor. The taste is tarter than Rao’s, but it isn't too tart. It’s made with straightforward ingredients like Italian tomatoes, olive oil, onions, basil, and a few basic seasonings. It also has the same low net carbs as Rao’s at about 5 net carbs per serving. Often times, you cand find it priced lower than Rao's, which makes it a great marinara option.

Net Carbs: 5 grams net carbs per ½ cup

Ingredients: Italian Tomatoes (Whole Peeled Tomatoes, Tomato Puree, Sea Salt, Basil), Onions, Olive Oil, Sea Salt, Basil, Garlic, Oregano.

Amazon Rating: 4.7 out of 5 stars

Other Sauces: Arrabbiata, Tomato Basil, Spicy Vodka, Garlic, Mushroom & Four Cheese

PROS:

• Bright, fresh tomato flavor
• Available at most grocers
• All natural, quality ingredients
• Low in net carbs

CONS:

• Higher in cost
• Slightly higher in calories (and fat)

3. Victoria Marinara Sauce

Victoria is another high-end brand of pasta sauce that is made with imported Italian tomatoes and other clean, quality ingredients. Victoria Marinara Sauce has a nice natural flavor, but we didn't think it was as flavorful as Rao's. However, it's still a great tasing sauce that is low in carbs (5 grams net carbs per half cup) and uses quality ingredients. It's also slightly lower in calories and fat compared to Rao's Homemade Sauce.

Net Carbs: 5 grams net carbs per ½ cup

Ingredients: Whole Tomatoes In Juice, Onions, Olive Oil, Sea Salt, Garlic, Basil, Spices.

Amazon Rating: 4.7 out of 5 stars

Other Sauces: Vodka, Fradiavolo, Alfredo, Tomato Basil, Roasted Garlic, etc.

PROS:

• Good, natural flavor
• Quality ingredients
• Low in net carbs and calories

CONS:

• Not as common at grocers
• Higher in cost

4. Mezzetta Marinara Sauce

Mezzetta is a popular brand in the condiment aisle as it also sells jarred peppers, olives and pickled veggies. The Mezzetta Marinara Sauce has a more herby flavor with small chunks of tomato. Although it doesn't have a vibrant tomato flavor like Rao's or Carbone, it's still quite natural tasting and flavorful. It's made with quality, clean ingredients and is less expensive than Rao's and Carbone.

Net Carbs: 6 grams net carbs per ½ cup

Ingredients: Italian Plum Tomatoes from Italy's San Marzano Region, California Plum Tomatoes, Imported Olive Oil, Fresh Onions, Sea Salt, Fresh Garlic, Fresh Basil, Black Pepper, Spices.

Amazon Rating: 4.7 out of 5 stars

Other Sauces: Parmigiano Reggiano, Trufflle, Porcinia & Cream, Caramelized Onion, Tomato Pesto, etc.

PROS:

• Decent flavor
• Quality ingredients
• Many positive reviews on Amazon
• Lower in cost

CONS:

• Not as common at grocers
• Slightly higher in calories (and fat)

5. Barilla Marinara Sauce

In addition to pasta noodles, Barilla also sells a line of pasta sauces. You can find Barilla sauces at many grocers and they're affordably priced. Barilla Marinara is a thicker sauce that isn't as natural in flavor as the above-mentioned brands (like Rao's or Carbone). However, the marinara sauce is more flavorful than the below-mentioned Prego Marinara Sauce. It's made with quality ingredients (with the exception of natural flavor) and is affordably priced.

Net Carbs: 7 grams net carbs per ½ cup

Ingredients: Diced tomatoes in tomato juice, tomato puree (water, tomato paste), onions, garlic, sea salt, basil, extra virgin olive oil, oregano, citric acid (acidity regulator), natural flavor.

Amazon Rating: 4.7 out of 5 stars

Other Sauces: Garlic, Spicy Marinara, Traditional, Tomato Basil, Tuscan Herb, etc.

PROS:

• Low in calories and fat
• Affordably priced
• Made with quality ingredients (with the exception of natural flavor)
• Can be found at most grocers

CONS:

• Thicker sauce that isn't as well balanced as Rao's or Victoria sauces
• Slightly higher in net carbs at 7 grams per ½ cup

6. Prego No-Sugar Added Traditional Sauce

Prego recently added a no-sugar added pasta sauce to its array of pasta sauces that are typically abundant at grocers. Even though it's a no-sugar sauce, it seems to taste sweeter than the other sauces in this review. That said, it has a vibrant tomato flavor, which isn't too bad. However, the ingredients include canola oil (although less than 1 percent) and extracts instead of the actual ingredients. Much like Barilla, this sauce is low in calories, fat and price.

Net Carbs: 7 grams net carbs per ½ cup

Ingredients: Tomato Puree (Water, Tomato Paste), Diced Tomatoes In Tomato Juice, Contains Less Than 1% Of: Salt, Canola Oil, Dried Garlic, Dried Onions, Spices, Basil, Citric Acid, Onion Extract, Garlic Extract.

Amazon Rating: 4.6 out of 5 total stars

Other Sauces: Please note that other Prego sauces are higher in carbs and sugar with the exception of no-sugar added sauces

PROS:

• Decent sauce given price
• Lower in calories and fat
• Very low in cost

CONS:

• Slightly higher in net carbs at 7 grams
• Sweeter, less natural-tasting sauce
• Ingredients include canola oil, onion extract and garlic extract

7. Hoboken Farms Vodka Sauce

Hoboken sauce differs from the other sauces on this list since it's a vodka sauce (but they also have a marinara sauce, which we hope to try soon). Since we've seen Hoboken sauce advertised on Amazon as keto-certified, no-sugar added, and gluten-free, we just had to get. It's a sweeter, thinner sauce that has a different flavor. Overall, we weren't as satisfied with the flavor compared to other brands on the list. That said, it's made with good, quality ingredients.

Net Carbs: 7 grams net carb per half cup

Ingredients: Plum Tomatoes, Heavy Cream, Fresh Onion, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Fresh Garlic, Parmesan & Romano Cheese (Pasteurized Milk, Cultures, Salt, Enzyme, Powdered Cellulose (Anti Caking Agent)), Butter, Fresh Basil, Sea Salt, Vodka, Citric Acid, Black Pepper.

Amazon Rating: 4.4 out of 5 total stars

Other Sauces: Marinara, Basil Marinara, Low Sodium Marinara

PROS:

• Good, quality ingredients

CONS:

• Flavor not quite right (in our opinion; please take with a grain of salt)
• More expensive
• Slightly higher in net carbs at 7 grams per half cup
• Not available at most grocers; can buy on Amazon

8. Yo Mama's Marinara Sauce

Yo Mama's is another popular low-carb marinara sauce we've seen on Amazon that's advertised as low-carb, no-sugar added, low-sodium, and gluten-free. Although this sauce gets good reviews on Amazon, we found the marinara sauce not as flavorful and natural-tasting as other brands on this list. It's a thinner marinara sauce (almost watery) that even tastes a little sweet. However, it's made with fresh, quality ingredients and is low in carbs at 4 grams per ½ cup.

Net Carbs: 4 gram net carbs per ½ cup

Ingredients: Fresh tomatoes, fresh onions, fresh garlic, white wine, olive oil, basil, salt, oregano, black pepper

Amazon Rating: 4.3 out of 5 total stars

Other Sauces:  Spicy Marinara, Basil

PROS:

• Made with fresh quality ingredients
• Lowest in net carbs at 4 grams per ½ cup
• Very low in calories

CONS:

• Thin, less flavorful sauce compared to other brands on list
• Not available at many grocers; can order through Amazon
• More expensive